The phalanx of heavily armored police that occupied the corner of Franklin and Washburn Street 24 hours early had been replaced by dozens of curiosity seekers gawking at white house far behind the police line. The onlookers had come to this spot to see where the manhunt that shook Watertown to its core came to a climatic end.

By Garrett Quinn

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Garrett Quinn

Posted Apr. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 22, 2013 at 10:15 PM

By Garrett Quinn

Posted Apr. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 22, 2013 at 10:15 PM

WATERTOWN

» Social News

The phalanx of heavily armored police that occupied the corner of Franklin and Washburn Street 24 hours early had been replaced by dozens of curiosity seekers gawking at white house far behind the police line. The onlookers had come to this spot to see where the manhunt that shook Watertown to its core came to a climatic end.

The curious onlookers, some from Watertown and others from surrounding communities were almost equal to the number of news crews on site eager to get a glimpse of the ongoing investigation behind police barricades. It was colder, many noted, but at least it was calmer on these streets that are straight out central of casting.

Tim Foley went outside his Center Street home to walk his dog as soon as the shelter in place order was lifted. His home is down the street from where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the two brothers accused of the Boston Marathon bombings, took refuge in a boat during a daylong manhunt that paralyzed this city and its immediate neighbors. Foley said he was outside for approximately ten minutes when the police started roaring down the street ordering people to get back in their homes and out of the way.

The whole ordeal was tough for the father of three. While he was stuck in his home he had some “hard conservations” with his kids about what was going on down the street from their four family home. “I felt safe,” he said during the lockdown, noting he thought law enforcement officials did an excellent job.

“My biggest concern was sleeping another night with the kids in the house. All of my day was looking out windows at birds moving. Raccoons and shadows got me to jump,” said Foley, the political director of SEIU Local 1199.

“It’s been absolutely surreal. We basically saw the whole thing from the initial police chase up Mount Auburn Street. We’ve just been glued to our windows and TV watching everything unfold,” said Dan Nystedt, 28, a resident of Franklin St.

Nystedt, a photographer, said he just happened to be turning on the 11pm news for updates on the Boston Marathon bombing when he saw there was a shooting at MIT. Shortly thereafter it escalated to a carjacking and high speed shootout on Mount Auburn. He estimates he saw “at least 20” police cruisers fly down Mount Auburn in high speed pursuit of the brothers. As soon as the shelter in place ban was lifted Nystedy went outside his home and checked his bushes to see if he could find anything but that search did not last very long as police soon swarmed his street.

“I was going stir crazy in the house and I wanted to go out and walk around. I was impressed with how fast everybody wanted to get back to their everyday life,” said Nystedt.

Page 2 of 2 - Like Foley, he was impressed with how the town responded and law enforcement handled the situation. “Couldn’t be happier” with what went down.

Watertown police officers on scene said that the crowds that had gathered throughout the day were peaceful and there were no issues. Massachusetts State Police troopers were on scene providing assistance, too. The crime scene remains under the control of the FBI. One official on Franklin Street said that he thinks the area could reopen completely as early as later this evening but that decision rests with federal officials.

Other Watertown residents that weren’t from the immediate vicinity of the crime scene investigation came to check out what was happening. Tim Power, 36, of Cuba Street, said that the explosions and gunfire woke him up on Thursday night prompting him to turn the news on. Power said he wasn’t that scared because of his deep faith in God but he was worried about how it was going to end. “I was definitely feeling a little unsure of how the whole thing was going to play out. How is this going to end? How big is this tragedy going to be?” said Power, adding that he did check to make sure his doors were locked.

“It was pretty nerve wracking right after they gave the all clear and then you hear d the gun shots, it was kind of unsettling,” said John Clinton, 22.